With the WNBA regular season winding down, teams have their sights set firmly on the playoffs. Will they make it in? What will their seed be? How do they set themselves up for a title run?
The answers to all of those questions start with how they finish their remaining regular-season games. But not all schedules are created equal: A few contenders do not have an easy path the rest of the way, while others who are looking to stay in the bracket should be breathing a sigh of relief. Here are a few teams whose schedule strength through the rest of the season might leave their fans worried, and some who should be able to bank plenty of wins.
WNBA teams with the toughest remaining schedule
Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx are currently sitting in first place in the WNBA standings and are arguably the most well-rounded team in the league. Their chances of making a deep run in the playoffs are fairly high — the buzz in Minnesota is palpable. But this team has been in this position before, only to fall short in the postseason.
The Lynx also have the toughest remaining schedule across the league. Some fans might look at that and think they're top-seed hopes are doomed, but that's not necessarily the case. Minnesota currently holds a 2.5-game lead over the Aces for the No. 1 spot, and perhaps getting these tough games in late in the season will prepare them to face stiff competition in just a few weeks.
Before the end of the regular season, Minnesota will take on the Aces, Valkyries and Fever twice each. They also have dates with the Dream, Wings and Liberty. I truly believe the Lynx will fare well in most of these games, especially with the return of Napheesa Collier. Unfortunately, the main teams they need to worry about are the ones they play twice — they've already lost to Las Vegas once this season.
Indiana Fever
The Fever are sitting at No. 5 in the standings after a heartbreaking loss to Vegas on Thursday. Their spot in the playoffs is more or less secure, but it doesn't help that they have the third-toughest remaining schedule. Indiana, Dallas and Atlanta are all within one-half game of each other. They'll be battling for playoff seeding, making these tougher games that much more important.
As previously mentioned, the Fever and the Lynx will face off twice more before the season ends. These two squads just met last Sunday, Aug. 2, when the Lynx handed Indy a 108-100 loss. The Fever will not only be looking to get their revenge, but also prove they can beat the top dogs.
Indiana will also meet with the Liberty and the Wings twice more — and they've already lost to both this season. They will face off with the Aces, the Mystics and the Dream. They've claimed a win against Vegas once this season, but have suffered losses at the hands of Washington and Atlanta.
New York Liberty
While the Liberty are currently sitting at No. 7 in the standings, a surge from a bottom-half team could leave them out of the picture. It looks unlikely, but not impossible. New York has the fourth-toughest remaining schedule.
The Liberty will face off against the Fever and the Dream twice more this season. They are 1-1 against Indiana and 1-0 against Atlanta so far. New York will also face the three best teams in the league — Minnesota, Vegas and Golden State — once each. Out of those three, they have only won against the Aces.
This Liberty squad has blown a bit hot and cold this season. However, they've won six of their last seven. They will need to keep that energy up. The Liberty take on the Aces on Sunday, and a win would be a big confidence booster.
WNBA teams with the easiest remaining schedule
Dallas Wings
This should put Dallas fans' minds at ease — well, maybe. The Wings have struggled against tough opponents this season; they've lost three of their last four matchups, with the losses all coming to playoff contenders. Now, Dallas has the easiest remaining schedule in the league.
The Wings will only face three legit contenders before the end of the season, facing the Valkyries and Fever each twice and the Lynx once. Dallas is 0-3 against Minnesota, 0-1 against Golden State but 1-0 against the Fever.
Luckily, if those games don't go their way, the Wings will have a great stretch of games to get back on track right before the end of the season. After the FIBA break, Dallas will finish the season off with a matchup against Los Angeles, two against Phoenix and another against Seattle — all bottom-tier teams.
Golden State Valkyries
The Valkyries have already gotten through the majority of their tough games and are sitting pretty at No. 3 in the standings. Their toughest games for the rest of the season are two matchups against Dallas and Minnesota and one against New York. The Lynx will be their most intense battle, as they're currently 0-2 against them this season.
Additionally, the Lynx having the toughest schedule in the W works out well for the Valkyries, who have the second-easiest. If they dominate their lower-tier opponents, as expected, and Minnesota doesn't finish the season strong, Golden State could have a chance to leapfrog them in the standings.
Washington Mystics
Mystics fans should be feeling great about where they stand. Washington's confidence hasn't been this high for much of the season, but they're currently on a five-game winning streak — their first such run since 2019. Over the past week, they've beaten some of the toughest teams in the league like Dallas, Golden State and Las Vegas. These wins not only have Washington full of momentum but also have put them in a great position to stay in the playoff picture.
Now, the Mystics into the rest of the season with the third-easiest remaining schedule. They do face Vegas twice more, and they have dates with the Lynx, Dream and Fever. But I believe they can win at least a couple of those. And Washington will also play Chicago and Phoenix twice; these are technically bottom-tier teams in the standings, but both have some great pieces that can put up a fight. Those games will be great opportunities for a young Mystics squad heading into the playoffs.
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